


District 9 (Part 1 of Step Out!)

by MasterofMages



Series: Step Out! [2]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Don't worry, Gen, Inspired by district 9 mv, More tags to be added as story progresses, Multi, Mystery, Opressive Society, Revolution (sort of), Self-Denial, Self-Discovery, Self-Doubt, Some Fluff, There's Character development, Woojin starts out as a bit of an asshole, dystopian utopia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-08-13 06:30:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20169703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MasterofMages/pseuds/MasterofMages
Summary: Chan is not like the others. He is different, he is independent.He isn't a mindless robot like most of those living in the Facility.Chan's friends are different too. There are a few others that are also different.They are in danger, the Facility seeks to brainwash those who think, and act differently.Chan must be careful, he must protect his friends.But how can he protect them, when they live in a society that wants to destroy all that makes them special.Maybe they should leave? But that isn't possible... is it?





	1. We are Different, We are Independent

* * *

Every day Chan would wake up, shower, dress in the same clothes, eat the same, barely edible food, and attend classes at the learning facilities. 

Every single day, he would go to his class, sit down, and partake in the lessons. 

That’s what he is supposed to do, and that is what he does.

At noon, he would be given a short break to eat again (a more decent meal, provided by the Facility). During his break, he would always sit with his friends, Changbin, and Jisung. They would eat with few words shared between them.

The less they spoke, the safer it was.

After, they would (through code) agree to sneak out later, unless they were unable to do so easily. Then they would seperate, and return to their classes till they are allowed to return back to the living facilities.

However, today was different. 

The first half of Chan’s day went as usual, it was during his lunch break that everything changed.

He was waiting for Changbin and Jisung to join him, starting on his meal in the meanwhile.

Chan is just about to take another bite of… an edible substance, but he stops as someone slides into the chair next to him.

“Hi!” 

Chan turns towards the owner of this deep voice.

He is met with the sight of a bright smile, cheeks adorned with freckles, and a head full of unnaturally blonde hair. The boy’s hair is what surprises Chan the most. It is looked down upon for any member of the Facility to alter their appearance.

_ This kid has guts. He must be like us... _

“My eyes are here.” The boy chuckles. He must’ve noticed Chan staring at his hair.

“I… Sorry.” Chan mumbles an apology, his face warm with embarrassment. He adjusts his gaze till he is met with warm, brown eyes.

“Nah, I’m just messing with you.” The boy flashes another smile at Chan.

“Okay…” Chan is really unsure on how to deal with this strange boy. What prompted the blond boy to come over, why Chan?

A more familiar voice interrupts Chan’s thoughts, “Felix, I told you to wait.”

Jisung approaches the table, soon followed by Changbin.

“Hello, Hyung.” Jisung gives Chan a nod, flashing a quick smile. Changbin does the same.

“Jisung. Changbin.” Chan greets his friends, returning their smiles.

“Hyung.” Jisung addresses Chan after he and Changbin have taken their seats, sitting across from Chan, and the blonde boy.

“This is Felix.” Jisung nods towards the blonde boy, “He transferred here from District 5 a few days ago. I’ve known him from when I lived there, two years ago.”

“Oh.” Chan nods, “He’s the “acquaintance” you’ve mentioned previously.”

People from the “upper” Districts tend to less freedom, which is why those who are different, like Chan, much prefer to live in the lower Districts. Felix must’ve been very good at hiding his individuality, despite his hair colour.

“Hi Felix.” Changbin give the younger a small smile. Felix smiles back.

_ Looks like Changbin has already met Felix. _

“ _ Yes, we can talk more in the hideout _ .” Jisung nodded in response to Chan. He spoke to Chan using the code they created to avoid the Facility overhearing anything they wanted to keep hidden, much like their hideout.

“ _ Do we need to…? _ ” Chan gestures towards Felix, the words “teach him the code” go unspoken.

“ _ No need, Jisung already taught me your code _ .” Felix is the one to reply, using their code to boot.

Chan flits his gaze to Jisung, he feels a bit wary about Felix already knowing their code, but he trusts Jisung’s judgment. Changbin was right about their other (soon to be) friend, Jeongin, being like them, and Changbin appears to already trust Felix. 

_ They’ve given me their trust all these years, I should do the same. _

“ _ Okay, we’ll meet at the usual time and place. _ ” Chan sighs.

They all continue eating their meal, the only words shared was when Changbin asked Felix a few (safe) questions.

After lunch they return to their routine. Chan goes to his lessons, then returns to the living facility, simply relaxing till it is safe for him to sneak out to their hideout.

Most of the people within the Facility obey each and every order, they are essentially slaves. They are raised like robots, brainwashed into the system. They are all too alike, lacking in individuality. That is exactly what makes it easy for people like Chan, Changbin, Jisung, and now Felix to exist. The facility has too much trust in their system, they think that everyone is the same, and that everyone will obey.

Every day, between 11pm and 7am the Facility shuts down nearly all their systems, save for a few security protocols to keep their “slaves” safe from being taken for any purpose that isn’t to benefit the Facility.

_ It is time. _

Chan looks behind him as he approaches the door, his roommate, Woojin is fast asleep.

_ Thank heavens that ass is a heavy sleeper _ .

Chan slowly pushes open the door to his living facility, he pokes his head out and checks for any security guards.

When he confirms that the coast is clear, he steps out into the hallway. He closes the door behind him, slowly, carefully, making sure that it closes without a sound. 

Chan moves down the hall, quickly, and quietly. There are a few spots where he has to hide away from the cameras, or security guards, but he manages to do so with well practised ease

Once he reaches the only way out of the living facility without cameras, a window, Chan stops. He peers through the panes of the window, checking that the coast is clear outside. 

Chan deems it safe, there is no guards walking about. He’ll need to be fast.

He opens the window, and not-so-gracefully climbs out onto the ground below. 

Now, to get to where the hideout is, Chan has to get to the forest at the edge of District 9. This is the harder part. He must cross the compound of the learning facility, where guards are walking about more regularly.

Chan ducks from bushes, to trees, to anything that will give him cover, anything that will allow him to stay hidden. At one point a guard comes too close for Chan’s comfort, his heart beats faster. He tries his best to steady his breathing till the guard is gone, then he continues.

He lets out a sigh of relief once he reaches the edge of the forest, after crossing a small fence. From here his short journey will be much easier. He just has to follow the familiar path to the hideout.

After a short trek through the woods, the dirty exterior of their hideout, an old facility warehouse comes into view. Lucky for them the Facility didn’t clear out the abandoned warehouse, so many useful things remained, such as a generator. 

A dim glow emits from a small light above the entrance. That, and the gentle hum from the generator indicate that someone is already here.

Chan approaches the entrance. He gently knocks before letting himself in, alerting whoever’s inside that he has arrived.

Chan weaves through some of the items abandoned within the warehouse. He reaches a small clearing that they had made. 

In the clearing is a couple couches, cushioned seats, a bean bag chair, a large coffee table, a pile of a variety of old (technically illegal) games, and a large cupboard which they filled with (expired but still pretty yummy/edible) foods. The games are set to one side, along with the food cupboard, while all the seats are circling around the table.

He spots a head of dark hair over the back of one of the worn-out couches. A half eaten bag of chips sits on the table.

“Hey, already digging in to the snacks I see.” Chan teases, he hops over the back of the couch.

Changbin lets out an annoyed groan as Chan goes thud beside him.

“Awww,” Chan coos, pinching Changbin’s cheeks, “Did I wake Binnie baby from his nap? Did Baby fall asleep after his snack?” Chan teases.

All he gets is a glare, and a pout from the younger. Chan chuckles at Changbin’s reaction.

“Is Jisungie here yet?” Chan asks, glancing around the warehouse.

“Not yet.” Changbin replies, his voice slightly husky from having been rudely awoken from his nap.

“Oh, well, I hope he gets here soon. We have a lot to talk about...” Chan sighs. The air suddenly feels cooler, or maybe he just noticed because he is no longer moving. Chan shivers slightly, “Does that electric heater still work?”

“Last I checked it did, but we’d have to turn the lights off to use it so we don’t overload the generator.” Changbin grabbed one of the pillows on the couch and placed it in his lap.

_ Changbin must be cold as well…  _

_ Maybe a fire pit would be a good idea, the place is well ventilated, it shouldn’t be a huge problem… I’ll mention it when Jisung get here. _

“I’ll just grab a blanket then.” Chan decides, “Do you want me to get one for you as well?”

“You’d do that for me?” Changbin flutters his eyelashes, he purses his lips, “You’re the best, Hyung.”

_ Oh no, he’s going to act cute. _

“Oh no you don’t.” Chan gives the younger a shove before Changbin has the chance to act cute. 

“Owwwww.” Changbin whines, rubbing his arm to exaggerate the pain. Chan knows he’s trying guilt trip him, but that won’t happen. Chan has already gotten off the couch, and has his back to Changbin.

He exits the small clearing they made among all the items left in the warehouse in search of the blankets.

_ If my memory serves me, the blankets should be… _

“Ah ha!” Chan lets out a triumphant sound. The blankets were on a shelf just a few meters from their clearing. 

Chan grabs all seven blankets, just in case Jisung, or Felix would want one… or two, and he heads back to Changbin.

Chan places the blankets on the table, “Wake up sleepy Binnie. Here’s your blanket.”

Changbin, who had started to nod off again, opens his eyes, “Hyung…” He whines.

“I brought them here, the least you could do is grab one yourself.” Chan shakes his head.

“Please?”

“... Fine.” Chan grabs a dark green, checkered blanket, and with a flourish he lays it on top of Changbin.

“Better?” Chan asks, wrapping his own, red plaid blanket around himself. He sits back down next to Changbin.

“Much.” Changbin nuzzles against Chan, “Thank you.”

“You’re lucky I care.” Chan chuckles. He places a hand on Changbin's head, combing his fingers through the dark locks.

Their peaceful moment is soon interrupted as the loud Jisung, and (apparently) equally loud Felix come prancing into the warehouse.

“Guess who!” Jisung sings, approaching Chan from behind, and covering his eyes.

“Changbin?” Chan teases, “Is that you? How did you get behind me so fast?”

Jisung gently cuffs the elder on the shoulder, “Hey!” He whines.

“Oh, my bad.” Chan continues to tease, “That whiny voice can only to Jisung. Sorry Changbin.”

The other three laugh as Jisung, whilst pouting, throws himself onto the couch opposite Chan and Changbin. Felix follows.

It takes a few moments for Chan, Changbin, and Felix to regain their composure.

“Let’s just get down to business.” Jisung grumbles, pout still evident on his face. He grabs a blanket from the pile and wraps it around himself, and Felix.

Felix thanks Jisung for the blanket before starting, “Jisung’s right. So, what do you guys want to know?”

“How do you and Jisung know each other?” Changbin asks the first question.

“We met back in District 5.” Felix starts, “I approached him because I could tell he was different, and I was right. We’ve been friends ever since, I think it’s been nine years.”

“Nine years and two months.” Jisung corrects Felix.

“Ah, right, nine years and two months.” Felix repeats, nodding.

“Do you know why you were transferred, Felix?” Chan asks cautiously, not wanting to offend the young male.

“I actually don’t know the exact reason, They just told me that Seungmin, and I were to be transferred here.” Felix shrugs his shoulders.

“Seungmin? Who-” Chan is cut off by Jisung.

“Seungmin is coming here too!!!” Jisung practically jumps to his feet.

“Whoops…” Felix rubs the back of his neck, “I wasn’t supposed to tell you, Seungmin wanted to surprise you.”

Jisung bounces in excitement. His smile stretches from cheek to cheek, “Yes, yes, yes!! Oh my God! Seungmin is coming!!! When?! When is he coming?!”

“In two days.” Felix replies, “You’ll see him in two days.”

“Two days?! I have to wait two whole days!” Jisung is now pouting again.

“What’s two days compared to two years?” Felix pulls Jisung to sit back down beside him.

“You’re right.” Jisung sighs, “I can do two days.”

“Boys!” Chan has to yell to get their attention again, “Who is Seungmin?”

“Oh, Seungmin is our other friend from District 5, he’s also like us.” Felix answers, “We met him about five years ago.”

“We didn’t exactly meet under the best circumstances…” Jisung lets out another sigh, “It’ll be up to him whether he wants to share his story or not.”

Felix tries to change the focus, “Do you have any other questions for me?”

The boys spend much of the night talking. Most of it is Chan, and Changbin practically interrogating Felix, but soon, each of them are happily sharing their stories.

They have to cut their conversations short when Jisung begins to doze off. Chan suggests they head back to their living facilities, with the promise to continue their conversations the night after the next.

Chan makes sure the younger boys make it back to their living facilities safely, before heading to his own. He manages to sneak back into the building and up to his room without a hitch.

Chan carefully opens the door to his room, he slips into the room, and quietly shuts the door behind him.

Chan turns around, letting out a sigh as he does.

Chan’s heart stops as he freezes in place.

In front of him is a very awake Woojin.

_ I am so fucking screwed. _


	2. Be Warned

* * *

Much like every normal person, Woojin would wake up, dress, eat, and attend classes at the learning facility. It was a routine that Woojin was comfortable with. He always knew what to expect.

Most of the time…

It all started when that annoying thing that calls himself “Chan” was assigned as his roommate.

Things wouldn’t be so… bad if Chan had just done as he was told. 

No, Chan just had to be an “Independent”, at least that’s what Woojin heard Chan call himself. Woojin would’ve used what the Facility would use to describe people like Chan: at risk of becoming a “Glitch”.

So yes, Woojin was assigned a possible “Glitch” as a roommate, and he Hated it.

There’s nothing worse than a person who cannot do as regulation states. Nothing worse than someone who isn’t quite like everyone else. Especially when said person seems to be able to hide it from majority of the Facility, just, not Woojin.

So when Woojin wakes up in the Early morning to go to the toilet, he most certainly does not expect Chan to be returning from that stupid “hideout’ he, and his friends go to almost every night. Woojin usually does his best to avoid this situation, and up till now it has worked.

Chan stares at Woojin, eyes wide with fear.

“I am so fucking screwed.” Woojin hears the other whisper.

_ What do I do? Do I threaten to report him? Do I just ask him why he’s up, pretend I didn’t just see him coming from outside? Or… _

“Choose your next move wisely Bang Chan.” Woojin warns him, “I won’t speak of this, however, should you do anything out of line, I will not be so merciful. I will report this should anything happen.”

With that, Woojin returns back to his room.

_ What have I done? _

Woojin slips into bed, and pulls his covers up over his head.

_ Did I just let him off with a warning? That’s not like me, I should report him. _

_ But… I told him I wouldn’t… _

_ Shit, what do I do _

Woojin’s thoughts torture him for the rest of the night, preventing him from getting any more sleep.

Woojin only makes his final decision as his alarm goes off.

_ I’ll let him off the hook, for now... _


	3. Friend, and Foe(?)

* * *

Chan spends the next day in a constant state of stress and panic. That combined with a lack of sleep was really affecting Chan’s performance in his daily tasks.

“ _ We’ll meet up three nights from now _ .  _ We need to lay low for a bit. _ ” Chan had instructed the others during their lunch hour.

They did just that. 

Chan followed all instructions exactly as they were relayed. He did no more or less than what was asked of him.

Yet nothing he did could shake the feeling that someone was watching him.

_ He must’ve reported me… and now they’re keeping an eye on me.  _

_ The fuck did I do to him to deserve this? I’ve never once been rude, or said anything out of place. I’ve always been careful, so why now…? _

Chan decides to confront Woojin about what happened.

_ Later, I’ll talk to him later. _

Later comes around, and Chan doesn’t end up confronting his roommate. They spend the whole evening walking on ice. Chan fears that the ice might break, and he’ll be the one to fall in and drown.

_ Tomorrow, I’ll talk to him tomorrow for sure. _

Tomorrow arrives, and with it, Chan strengthens his resolve. He will confront Woojin, he has to.

It is now evening, and Chan has finally worked up enough courage. He stands outside Woojin’s room, ready to knock on the door.

“What is it?” Woojin’s voice sounds from inside the room, even before Chan has the chance to knock, “I can hear you shuffling your feet, what do you want?”

“I, we need to talk.” Chan opens the door cautiously.

Woojin is sitting up on his bed, glasses perched on his nose as he reads something on his Facility issued tablet. “Do we?”

“Yes,” Chan takes in a deep breath, “About the other night, I think you were mistaken.”

“Was I?” Woojin narrows his eyes, “I know what I saw, and don’t think I haven’t heard you and your friends talking about some sort of  _ hideout _ .”

Chan recognizes their code word for their hideout, “Wha-!”

“ _ You guys aren’t the most discreet _ .” Woojin scoffs.

_ No, this can’t be happening. He knows about my friends too. I have to keep them safe. _

“Woojin, I, Please!” Chan falls to his knees, begging the other, “Please, don’t tell Them, Please! They’re all I have. I don’t care if you report me, just please don’t tell Them about my friends too.”

Woojin shakes his head, “Quit begging. I told you I wouldn’t say anything.”

“You, you won’t?”

“No.” A sly smile crosses Woojin’s face as he lowers his tablet, “But don’t think I’m letting you off free.”

Chan feels a lump grow in his throat.

_ It sounds like he’s going to blackmail me. _

“Think of it as a favour, I do one for you, and in return you must do one for me.”

“What is it?” Chan asks, “I’ll do it, just tell me what it is.”

“I’ll let you know when the time comes.” Woojin places his tablet on his bedside table, putting his glasses next to it, “Now leave, it is bedtime.”

Chan quickly exits Woojin’s room, he lets out a loud sigh as he closes the door. Chan returns to his own room and crawls under his covers.

“This is all my fault. I’ve put the others in danger, and now I owe that Jerk a favour.” Chan can feel tears well up in his eyes, “I should’ve been more careful.”

A few days pass, Chan still gets the feeling that he is being watched, but that feeling is less intense.

“ _ We meet tonight _ .” Chan decides, passing the message to the others.

Chan is last to arrive at the hideout that night. Changbin is sitting in his usual spot on the couch, whilst Jisung, Felix, and a person who Chan can only assume is Seungmin, are seated on the larger couch across from Changbin. Chan takes his place next to Changbin.

“Hello.” The ‘possibly Seungmin’ boy gets up as Chan sits down, “My name is Kim Seungmin, I am a friend of Jisung, and Felix.” The boy, now confirmed as Seungmin bows after his greeting.

“Hello, Seungmin. I’m Chan, and this is Changbin.” Chan gestures towards the shorter male.

“Hi.” Changbin nods.

“How did you end up transferring here?” Chan asks, pushing any formalities aside and getting right to the point.

“The Facility mentioned something about an exemplary display of compliance.” Seungmin laughs, the whole idea is absurd, “If only they knew.”

Chan and the others chuckle at that.

They chat for a while, simply just spending the time to get to know one another. Chan also mentions his suspicions of being watched, and he warns the others to be cautious for the next while. Jisung is the only one to share this feeling with Chan, while the others agree to keep a better eye out for any trouble.

Just before they part for the night Chan pulls Felix, and Seungmin aside.

“I know we only just met, but Jisung trusts you, therefore I trust you.” Chan puts one hand on each of their shoulders, “Please don’t break our trust. I’m sure you know all too well what it’s like to be different in a society where we’re supposed to be the same.”

“We know.” Felix places his hand on Chan’s, lowering it from his shoulder, and giving it a reassuring squeeze, “I’d like to think we are already friends.”

Seungmin nods, doing the same to Chan’s other hand, “Thank you, you can trust us. Friends?”

Chan feels tears in his eyes. He does his best to hold them back.

_ These boys are too precious. _

Chan pulls his hands from the two, and wraps his arms around them in a gentle embrace.

“Yeah, friends.”


	4. We Meet Again, Old Friend

* * *

Seungmin’s first day in District 9 is… busy to say the least.

He is reunited with Jisung after two years of being apart, and to a lesser extent, Felix after only a few days of being apart.

Jisung then introduces him to two other Independent’s, Chan, and Changbin. It doesn’t take very long before he is already asking if they would be his friends.

Now it is Seungmin’s second day, and (hopefully) it will be much calmer than his first.

It is during his class after lunch break that he realizes how wrong he was.

Seungmin is instructed by the teacher to take a seat in the back of the class. He follows her instruction, and sits down at his assigned spot.

Seungmin turns to the boy next to him, and greets him. Regulation states that they must be polite, and Seungmin doesn’t want to be suspected, especially after hearing that he had displayed “exemplary compliance to Facility regulations”.

“Hello. Nice to meet you.” Seungmin turns to face the boy.

Soft eyes meet with his own, contrasting the stoic look on the boy’s face.

_Whoa_ _ , he’s handsome. _

“Hello.” The boy returns the greeting, “I am Hwang Hyunjin.”

_ Hyunjin. _

_ Even his name is… Wait! _

_ Hyunjin, Jin… Jinnie? No, it can’t be- his eye, that mole, those lips… _

“And you are…?” Hyunjin interrupts Seungmin’s thoughts.

“Jinnie?” Seungmin blurts out.

“Your name is… Jinnie?” Hyunjin gives Seungmin a skeptical look.

“No- I…” Seungmin lowers his voice till it is quieter than a whisper, “It’s me, Minnie.”

In a flash, Hyunjin’s eyes widen, recognition flashed through them, but he is quick to regain his composure. His face becoming stoic again.

“What is your name?” He asks again.

“Kim Seungmin.” Seungmin replies.

_ It is Jinnie, his eyes said it all. _

“Nice to meet you.” Hyunjin lowers his voice to speak his next words, “No, Minnie is gone, you’re a liar.”

Seungmin can feel his heart being torn by those words. Hyunjin doesn’t recognize him, his Jinnie doesn’t recognize him.

_ What did they do to you in the reconditioning facility… Jinnie? _

Seungmin doesn’t let Hyunjin hurtful words to discourage him. He’ll just have to make Hyunjin believe that he is Minnie.

“I’ll make you believe.” Seungmin tells him quietly, “Meet me where concrete meets trunk, before the moon is high. I’ll prove it to you.”

Seungmin hopes Hyunjin understands his (oddly worded) request. They would often speak like this when they were younger.

Time passes slowly for the rest of the day. Seungmin can feel his tension rising as the allotted meeting time draws near.

He waits for Hyunjin, crouched in some bushes at the edge of the District 9 compound, the edge where the forest lies beyond, and the hideout along with it.

Footsteps approach.

Seungmin peeks out of the bush, it’s Hyunjin.

“Psst.”

Hyunjin looks around frantically.

“In the forest.” Seungmin hints.

Hyunjin looks around, before entering the shelter of bushes, and trees.

“Follow me.” Seungmin motions to Hyunjin as soon as he spots him.

Seungmin leads the other to the hideout.

“We’ll be safe here.” Seungmin explains, “The others decided to meet in a few nights, so it’s just us.”

“What about…” Hyunjin glances back from where they came.

“This warehouse is long since abandoned, no cameras. The other assure me it is under their radar.”

Hyunjin seems reluctant. He is most definitely scared.

Seungmin takes Hyunjin’s hands in his own, “Please, please trust me. I really am Minnie. I will prove it to you, somehow…”

Seungmin leads him inside, and pulls him down onto one of the couches, never letting go of his hands.

Hyunjin pulls his hands away from Seungmin, the stoic look returns to his face, “How? How can you prove to me that you really are Minnie?”

“How can I not, you saved me Hyunjin. You saved me from being like everyone else.” Seungmin feels a warm tear fall down his cheek, “I’ll never forget that day…”

Seungmin recounts the day that Hyunjin saved him, the day he realized his difference to everyone. It is a day only he and Hyunjin share. The further Seungmin gets into the retelling of that fateful day, the more he can see in Hyunjin’s eyes that he believes Seungmin. That Seungmin is Minnie.

By the end the two of them are sobbing, arms wrapped around each other, never wanting to let the other go.

“I missed you so much.” Hyunjin whispers, “I thought They got you too. I never thought I’d find you again.”

“Oh, Jinnie.” Seungmin breathes, “What did They do to you?”

“Nothing, and everything.”

Seungmin holds Hyunjin’s face between his hands. He wipes the tears falling from his soft eyes.

“I’ll never let Them take you, not again.” Seungmin sniffles.

He lets out a chuckle, “You aged well, Jinnie. Who thought that bratty kid would be this handsome.”

Hyunjin manages to laugh at this, “You too, Minnie. Never thought that snot faced kid I saved would be this cute. You still have those chubby cheeks.” Hyunjin smiles as he proceeds to pinch said cheeks.

“Hey!” Seungmin grabs Hyunjin’s cheeks between his fingers.

“Let me go, Minnie.”

“You first, Jinnie.”

“On the count of three.”

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

Neither of them let go.

They laugh, and laugh, tears now forgotten. One could only know they cried by the slight redness, and puffiness to their eyes.

Soon they must part, if they wish to see each other again. So, regretfully they return.

“Meet me with the others Jinnie? Four nights from now.”

“I… I don’t know…” 

“You trust me, right?” Seungmin pouts.

“Yes, but…” Hyunjin looks away.

“Well, I guess I have four days to let you decide. Don’t think I won’t bug you about it!” Seungmin teases.

Hyunjin smiles.

They return to their beds after one last hug goodnight.

Seungmin smiles as he lays under the cover of his blankets. He soon succumbs to sleep, his dreams were filled with nothing but happiness.

_ He’s alive, Jinnie is alive. _


	5. Is It Okay to Trust You?

* * *

Four days have passed.

Four days since Seungmin had asked Hyunjin to come, and allow himself to be introduced to his other friends.

Hyunjin is conflicted on the matter.

_ Should I go? Is it safe to go? Will I be able to trust them not to tell? Is Seungmin right, that they’re like us? _

Hyunjin has to decide by tonight. Something tells him that he must go, but his rational thoughts scream that it isn’t safe.

It seems the side of him that said he should go won over his rational thoughts. He is now standing by the entrance of the hideout.

“Jinnie!” A nasally voice belonging to none other than Seungmin squeals, “You came!”

Hyunjin nods nervously.

“You still having doubts?” Seungmin laces his fingers with Hyunjin’s. His hands are warm, a stark difference to the cool air of the night.

Hyunjin nods again.

Seungmin looks up at Hyunjin, and just by meeting his eyes does Hyunjin feel much calmer.

“C’mon, I’ll be with you the entire time, okay?” Seungmin gives him a hopeful smile.

“Okay.” Hyunjin agrees, allowing Seungmin to pull him into the building.

“Looks like Chan, and the others are already here.” Seungmin comments upon seeing four people sitting in the clearing.

“Hi everyone.” Seungmin greets them, guiding Hyunjin to sit on one of the four couches.

Seungmin grabs a blanket before sitting next to Hyunjin. He wraps the blanket around the two of them.

_ He must’ve felt how cold my hands were. _

Hyunjin’s heart warms at the thought.

“Who is this?” One of the others, a curly haired male asks. His eyes are narrowed in suspicion. The dark, brooding one next to him eyes Hyunjin similarly.

“This is Hyunjin.” Seungmin explains.

“Hyunjin?” The boy with freckles tilts his head, “That name sounds familiar…”

“Ah!” Both Freckles and the Squirrel looking boy exclaim at the same time, “Is this Jinnie!?”

“You, you know me?” Hyunjin is taken aback.

“Yeah,” Freckles nods, “Seungmin has mentioned you before, a lot actually.”

“Oh.” Hyunjin blushes. Even after all this time… He shouldn't be surprised that Seungmin remembered him.

“You’re the one who saved him.” Squirrel adds.

“Oh.” Curly hair nods in realization, “He’s the friend you mentioned.”

“Yeah.” Seungmin nods. Under the blankets he holds Hyunjin’s hand tightly, as if sensing Hyunjin’s unease.

“Well, It’s nice to finally meet you.” Freckles smiles, “My name is Felix.”

“I’m Jisung.” Pipes squirrel boy.

“Changbin.” The dark, brooding one gives a curt nod.

“And I’m Chan” Curly hair, Chan, is the last to introduce himself, “Welcome to the hideout, I guess…”

Chan’s gaze has significantly softened towards Hyunjin, he no longer appears suspicious.

“Thanks.” Hyunjin mumbles.

An awkward silence follows. Everyone looks at each other, unsure of what to say next. Hyunjin looks down at his feet.

_ Maybe this was a mistake... _

“So, Hyunjin…” Changbin is the first to break the silence, he speaks softly, “How long have you been in District 9?”

Hyunjin looks at Changbin, and swallows nervously. He then looks to Seungmin.

_ What do I do? Do I tell him? _

Seungmin seems to know exactly what Hyunjin is thinking. He nods, giving Hyunjin’s hand another comforting squeeze.

“F-Four years…” Hyunjin’s voice comes out as a squeak.

“Really?” Changbin ponders his words for a moment, “I don’t think I’ve seen you around… You must be really good at blending in.”

Hyunjin blushes, he takes Changbin’s words as a compliment, “Uh… I… Thanks…”

“You know, if there’s anything you feel uncomfortable telling us, just let us know. We don’t want you to feel unwelcome.” Chan adds, “I think over the past couple of weeks this place has become a safe place for people like us.”

Hyunjin notices Jisung nodding his head aggressively at Chan’s words.

“That’s actually a good idea.” Seungmin chimes, “We should let others like us know about this place, gather people like us so we can support one another.”

There seems to be a unanimous agreement among the group.

“I have someone who I’ve been considering bringing here. How about I bring him in next meeting?” Changbin suggests.

“Sure!” Jisung adds, “He can be our fourth member.”

“I think you mean seventh, Jisung.” Chan corrects him.

“Seventh?” Jisung tilts his head in confusion, knitting his eyebrows together.

“Well, I brought Changbin, and then you.” Chan explains, “Then you brought Felix, and Seungmin, who brought Hyunjin. Six, add Changbin’s recruit and that’s seven.”

Changbin lets out a laugh, “To think that in two weeks, our group of friends has doubled.”

“Friends?” Now Hyunjin is the confused one.

We only just met? How can they consider me a friend already?

“Yup.” Felix nods, “We’d like you to join our group.”

“You make it sound like we’re a gang, Felix.” Chan shakes his head, “He’s right though, we would like to call you a friend, Hyunjin. Will you let us?”

Everyone looks at Hyunjin expectantly.

_ I… I don’t- how do I… _

Hyunjin looks to Seungmin again. Seungmin shakes his head as if to say that he cannot decide for Hyunjin.

After what seems like an eternity, Hyunjin gives his answer, “Okay.”

_ I’ll give them a chance. Minnie trusts them, and I trust Minnie. _

“Welcome to our gang!” Felix, and Jisung cheer.

“Okay, we seriously need a better name for our group than that.” Changbin shakes his head disapprovingly.

“How about “The Group of Different kids”?” Jisung suggests.

Everyone shakes their heads.

“The resistance?” Felix offers, shrugging his shoulders.

“We are not a resistance.” Chan shoots down his idea.

“How about…”

Nope.

“What about…?”

No again.

“Oh, I know!”

Definitely not.

“I give up.” Jisung sighs, splaying himself on the couch, “What would we even call a group of a bunch of strays.”

_ We really are a bunch of stray kids. Oh. _

“How about “Stray Kids”?” Hyunjin quietly suggests.

_ Oh god, what if they think it’s a stupid name? _

“Stray Kids?” Chan says the name, like he was tasting it to see how it felt on the tongue, “I like it!”

“Welcome to Stray Kids!”


	6. Just a Kid

* * *

A few days pass before the boys, Stray Kids as they have now dubbed themselves, decide to meet again.

Changbin has decided that he will bring the young boy he mentioned at the last meeting. Now all he has to do is pass the message to the kid.

Changbin walks down the halls of the learning facility, keeping an eye out for the tall, young boy

_ Where did he go…? Ah! There he is. _

Changbin quickens his pace till he is right behind the kid. He clears his throat hoping the kid will turn and see him, but the kid keeps on walking. Time for plan B.

Changbin speeds up, over taking the kid, and steps in front of him. They collide, both of them dropping what they were carrying.

“Apologies.” Changbin says, helping the kids to pick up his things, “Didn’t see you there.”

The kid looks at Changbin, “No, it’s- Oh!” The kid smiles at Changbin, his eyes flashing with recognition, “ _ Hyung _ !”

“Shhhh.” Changbin shushes the kid, “ _ Keep your voice down _ .” He scolds, using the code.

“ _ Sorry _ .” The kid apologizes sheepishly.

“ _ Meet me at the edge of the compound by the forest, after dark, I want to introduce you to the others. _ ” Changbin instructs.

“ _ Really! _ ” The kids exclaims a bit loudly before correcting his tone, “ _ I mean, okay _ .” 

“Here you go.” Changbin passes the boy his belongings, now speaking normally, “Sorry about all this.”

“Thank you.” The kid accepts his belongings, and the two continue on their way.

Night falls, and Changbin waits patiently under the cover of some bushes.

He hears a slight rustling as the boy joins him.

“Where are we going, Hyung?” He whispers.

“Just follow me.” Changbin leads the kid through the forest, and into the warehouse.

They arrive to find that they are the first two there.

“Just sit anywhere.” Changbin gestures to the couches and chairs, “I’ll go get us some blankets, and maybe a snack. You hungry?”

“Yes, please.” The boy nods, throwing himself onto one of the couches.

Changbin returns from the food cupboard and passes the kid a small pack of fish shaped crackers. He also passes him a pastel blue blanket.

“Thanks.” The kid takes the blanket, wraps it around himself, and opens the pack of food.

“These are really yummy!” The boy exclaims, digging into the snack.

“Glad you like ‘em.” Changbin smiles.

_ I hope the others will find him just as adorable as I do. _

Just as the boy finishes his snack, he looks at something just behind Changbin.

“Oh.” He gasps, “It’s you! Mr. Freckles.”

_ Ah, Felix must be here, which means Jisung isn’t far behind. _

Changbin glances behind him, confirming his thoughts.

“My name is Felix.” Felix laughs.

“Ah, I’m sorry.” The kid squeaks.

“Is this the boy you were talking about?” Jisung asks.

“Yep,” Changbin nods as Felix, and Jisung sit in their usual spot on the couch across from him, “I’ll introduce him once everyone is here.”

Felix, and Jisung make themselves comfortable, grabbing their own blankets, and snacks. 

In the meanwhile Chan, Seungmin, and Hyunjin all arrive.

Once everyone is settled, Changbin starts, “Everyone, meet Jeongin.”

“Hello!” the kid, Jeongin, sings cheerfully from under the pastel blue blanket, “Changbin Hyung said I could meet you guys, so here I am.”

The others go around introducing themselves. Introductions soon turn into storytelling, as Jeongin tells them how Changbin had approached him one day.

“And I kept asking him when he would take me to meet you guys, but he kept saying “It’s too dangerous, not now”, so I gave up on asking for a while, then he asked me, and now… here I am.” Jeongin takes in a deep breath.

The group all share a look, each of them nodding to the other.

“Welcome, Jeongin. Would you like to join us, Stray Kids?” Chan asks.

Jeongin smiles, and all the others want to do is pinch his cheeks at how cute he is.

“I thought you’d never ask!”


	7. You Are Not Alone

* * *

Another couple of weeks pass, and the boys spend as much time together in the hideout as they possibly can. As a result they grow closer.

Jeongin got along famously with the others. Even Hyunjin, who still stuck to Seungmin like sap to a tree, was becoming a bit more open, and trusting of the others.

If you asked Jisung, he would take credit for Hyunjin opening up, as he persistently spoke to the shy individual.

Jisung felt proud. Felix, and Seungmin fit into their group perfectly, as did Hyunjin, and Jeongin. It was as though the group was a puzzle, yet to be completed, and with the addition of the newest four, it felt even more so.

Despite these feelings, Jisung still felt like something was wrong, not with Stray Kids, they were near perfect. It was that feeling he had a few weeks ago, the one he and Chan had both felt.

More recently, Chan had told them that he no longer felt like someone was watching him. Jisung, however, did not share that feeling. For him, it had gotten worse.

Around every corner he turned, he could sense a harsh gaze following him. It had gotten to the point where Jisung had to opt out of a couple of Stray Kids meetings, but only on the days where he thought he was being watched more closely.

Jisung had agreed to meet with the others that night, despite the harsh gaze feeling stronger than ever. It had been hard for him, having now gone five days without seeing his friends, he would just have to be extremely careful tonight.

Before leaving his living facility, Jisung double checked the halls, he triple checked once he got outside the building, and quadruple checked as he snuck across the compound.

He never let his guard down, not even when he made it under the cover of the forest.

Jisung let out a sigh of relief, he had made it to their hideout. He quickly glances around one last time before placing his hand onto the handle of the warehouse doors, ready to open it.

**SNAP**

A twig in the forest breaks behind him. Jisung stops.

“Shit.” A voice cursed softly.

_ That voice does not belong to any of the others… _

Jisung’s heart was pounding in his chest. He holds his breath as he turns to face the owner of the unfamiliar voice.

He is met with a young male, a mere few meters from where he stands. The male meets Jisung’s eyes.

_ Fear, a bit of guilt, and... hope? Why is he hopeful? _

“Who are you?” Jisung manages to force his words out. He steps closer to the male, and puffs his chest out slightly, trying to look a bit more intimidating, “Why did you follow me?”

Jisung watches as the male swallows nervously, “I- Uh….”

“N-name?” Jisung demands, internally cursing as he stutters.

“Minho.” The male, Minho states, “I just followed because I had to be sure…”

“Sure of what?” Jisung snaps at his… well, stalker.

_ He must’ve been the reason why I felt like I was being watched all week. _

“That… that you were like me…” Minho’s voice comes out softly, “I had to be sure that I wasn’t alone anymore.”

Jisung’s eyes widen, how could he not have noticed. He was usually very perceptive when it came to knowing who was an Independent, and who was not. Minho is clearly the former, and he was being hostile to him. Jisung was being rude to someone like him.

_ He must’ve been so scared, thinking he was alone. _

“You’re not.” Jisung feels the need to assure Minho, his tone softening, “My name is Jisung, and I am different to those brainwashed robots.”

Jisung can tell that Minho still has doubts, even though he is the one that followed Jisung here.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Jisung mumbles to himself before speaking up so Minho can hear him, “Would you come inside?”

Minho takes a step back when Jisung holds his hand out. He looks ready to retreat back into the forest.

_ He must’ve been so scared, thinking he was alone all this time. _

“I’m sorry.” Jisung tries speak as calmly as he can, “We have to make sure you won’t just run off and tell Them about us.”

“No!” Minho is quick to respond, loudly too, “I won’t tell Them, not when I’ve finally found someone…”

“Then please, please come inside.” Jisung steps closer to Minho again, he holds his hand out towards the male, “Trust me when I say, you’re not alone. Please?”

After much hesitation, Minho cautiously takes Jisung’s hand.

“Are you really… different?” Minho asks as Jisung leads him towards the warehouse entrance.

“Yes.” Jisung turns the handle, opening the door to their hideout, “We all are.”

“...We…?” Minho asks, but his answer is soon given as they arrive at the clearing.

The others are all here, all bundled up in blankets, and munching away on snacks. The cheerful chatter between them dies off as Jisung brings Minho to sit on the only couch that is unoccupied.

“Jisung,” Chan carefully approaches the subject of the newcomer, “Who is this?”

“Are all of you really…?” Minho cuts Jisung off before he can answer.

“Different?” Felix pipes in, completing what Minho had trouble formulating a word for, “We are. Are you?”

“I… think so.” Minho nods thoughtfully.

“You are.” To everyone’s surprise, Hyunjin is the one to confirm, “The moment one begins to doubt, to even think that they are not like everyone else, that’s when you become different. A “glitch” in Their system.”

“What’s your name?” Hyunjin asks.

“Lee Minho.”

“Hwang Hyunjin.” Hyunjin nods in greeting, then motioning to the rest of the group with his head.

It takes a moment for everyone else to get the hint that they should introduce themselves as well. All of them were a bit shocked by the fact that Hyunjin had jumped right in when it came to the conflicted individual. Perhaps it was because Minho reminded him of Seungmin all those years ago, conflicted, confused. 

Whatever it was, Jisung was proud that Hyunjin was being so open to them, and to a stranger too.

They eventually realize and begin to introduce themselves.

“I’m Jeongin.”

“Seungmin.”

“My name’s Changbin.”

“I’m Felix, it’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m Chan, I guess I’m now the leader of our group, Stray Kids.” Chan offers a smile to Minho.

Minho returns the smile with a shy, small one of his own.

“Since when did you become leader?” Jisung protests.

“We had a vote the other night.” Changbin explains.

“But I wasn’t here!” Jisung pouts.

“We know, you weren’t there because someone from the Facility was watching you,” Changbin rolls his eyes, “We just assumed you’d vote for Chan Hyung anyways. Were we wrong to assume that?”

“Well…” Jisung mumbles, “No… you were right…”

“Then, Chan Hyung is the leader.”

“The Facility was watching you?” Minho gasps, his eyes wide in horror.

“I’m not entirely sure it was the Facility…” Jisung sheepishly admits, “I just know that I was being watched. I never saw who it was.”

_ Although, I have a feeling it was you... _

“Oh…” Minho looks down at his feet, “That might’ve been me…”

“Ah…” Jisung nods, his thoughts were correct, “I kinda guessed… only after I found you following me though.”

“Wait.” Chan puts a hand up to silence the group, “You’re the one who was making Jisung all paranoid?”

“I’m sorry.” Minho hangs his head even lower.

“No, I’m just relieved that it wasn’t the facility.” Chan reassures Minho. Jisung knows he hadn’t meant for the Minho to feel any more threatened than he already was.

“It’s okay Minho-” Jisung starts, only for Minho to cut him off.

“Hyung.” Minho corrects Jisung, “I’m older than you.”

“Okay, Hyung.” Jisung giggles.

_ Weird how this guy can go from shy, and timid to strong, and assertive. _

“How do you know that though?” Jisung asks.

“I may or may not have seen your records…” Minho mumbles.

A chorus of “You what?!” and “They have records?” sounds from around the clearing.

“Uh, yeah…” Minho rubs his neck, “I hacked into Their computer system through my tablet, after reprogramming it so it only sends what I want Them to see…”

“You can do that?” Chan asks, clearly impressed.

“I was only just able to do it on mine, so I’m not sure I could do it again on your tablets. It’d be better not to… I’d rather not be sent to a Reconditioning facility…”

Jisung notices Hyunjin flinch slightly as Minho mentions the “Reconditioning Facility”. The puzzle that is Hyunjin starts to piece itself together for Jisung.

_ Oh… I think I know why Hyunjin is withdrawn... _

“I was about to ask, but that is a good point.” Chan nods.

“What about the records?” Felix taps his feet, obviously curious as to what the records say about each of them, “Can you see them for the rest of us?”

“Yeah.” Minho nods, a serious look now crossing his face, “Do you want me to, I can do it right now?”

“Really?” Felix, Seungmin, and Changbin exclaim in unison.

Minho smirks as he pulls his tablet out from the small bag he had been carrying. Jisung only just noticed it.

_ Oh, he had a bag. _

_ Wait, did he just smirk? _

_ Hot damn. _

_ What happened to that shy, and polite Minho from a few seconds ago.  _

“Oh, hey!” Jisung’s interest is piqued as he sees his face on Minho’s tablet, “That’s me! Are those my records?”

“Um… Yes?”

“Can I read it?”

Minho hold the tablet so Jisung can see what the Facility records say about him.

Most of what they have, is the stuff that Jisung is already well familiar with. It has his name, age, birth date, his current course of studies, and a few notes about him as a member of the Facilities system.

“Shows exemplary skills in speed, and work efficiency.” 

Jisung smiles proudly at that.

“What, does it say anything like “Needs to talk less”?” Changbin teases.

Jisung glares at him, “I bet yours says “Needs to grow taller”.” Jisung rebuttals.

Changbin glares back.

“No fighting.” Jeongin commands. The two immediately ceased, partially out of surprise that the youngest tried breaking up the fight, but also because of how commanding the boy sounded.

“Sorry.” They both mumble. Jisung returning his gaze to the tablet.

“What does this mean?” Jisung points to a small symbol in the lower right corner of the photo they had of himself. 

“That’s an indicator as to how well you comply with Their commands. They use it as a basis for knowing if someone is at risk of becoming a “Glitch”, or if they just need to keep an eye on said person.” Minho explains whilst exiting out of Jisung’s profile, “Your symbol, along with the yellow colour, indicates that while it is suspected that you might be a “Glitch” you are low on their list of priorities.”

“Oh…” 

“The system isn’t always correct though… So I’ve never been sure as to whether to trust it or not…” Minho adds, “That’s why I followed you, I wanted to be sure.”

“Okay.” Jisung rubs Minho’s back, hoping he got the message that Jisung won’t hold it against him.

_ I’ll need to be more cautious... _

“Can you see what it says for the rest of us, regarding that symbol?” Chan asks, biting his lower lip.

“Yes.” Minho does a few taps on the surface of the tablet, he pulls up each of their profiles.

Hyunjin, Seungmin, and Jeongin are in the green range, indicating that they are of little to no risk.

Minho explains that he himself is somewhere between green, and yellow, sort of a vague area of whether he is a suspect or not.

Changbin, and Felix are yellow, like Jisung. They are suspected, but are unlikely to have action taken to have them “Reconditioned”.

When Minho goes to pull up Chan’s profile, he lets out a worried gasp.

“What?” They all ask, each of them clearly worried, “What does it say?”

“He…” Minho turns to Chan, “The symbol means that you are highly suspected… it’s… it’s red.”

Shivers run down Jisung’s spine, his hair stands on end.

_ Hyung is… He’s in danger isn’t he. _

“Not good.” Chan finally sighs, running his hand through his hair, “This is not good.”

“What do we do, Hyung?” Felix asks, his brows furrowed in concern.

The group grows quiet. Each of them racking their brains for how to deal with this.

“It might be best if you lay low for a while…” Minho suggests, “By that I mean you may need to act as a brainwashed robot, if that’s what it takes to convince them that you’re…”

Jisung can practically see the cogs of Chan's brain overworking. 

“I don’t…” Chan lets out a heavy sigh, “Maybe I should just-”

“No!” Hyunjin cuts Chan off, “Don’t say it!”

Hyunjin is visibly shaking.

“Please…” Hyunjin’s voice trembles, tears begin to fall down his cheeks, “Don’t- don’t let Them take you- take you there!” Hyunjin’s words become less, and less audible, but it is clear what he is trying to say.

_ Don’t let Them take you, like They took me... _

Seungmin has to step in to calm Hyunjin. He whispers to him, whilst holding his arms around his sobbing friend.

“Chan Hyung?” Jisung prompts Chan to speak.

_ Make a decision now, the longer you delay the harder it’ll be. _

“Okay. I’ll do as Minho suggests for the time being.” Chan concludes, “But, if it doesn’t work… We’ll have to come up with another plan. I can’t risk them getting you guys as well. I promise to protect you guys, that’s what a leader does. That’s what I will do.”

Chan goes over to Hyunjin, and gently holds his hand. Hyunjin looks up at Chan, eyes wet, red, and puffy.

“I promise to protect you.” Chan turns to the rest of the group, “All of you.”


	8. "You're Different from Me, so Leave Here"

* * *

Chan sends the others back later that night. He wanted to talk to Minho a bit more before they all went back to bed, just to get to know him better. He ends their meeting with inviting Minho to join Stray Kids, to which Minho accepts.

Chan bids the others a good night, before being the first to leave the hideout. He makes his way back to his room.

On his way back, Chan thinks as to why his Facility profile has him as high risk.

_ The only one who knows is Woojin… He said he wouldn't tell them, and I haven’t done anything out of line. _

_ So why…? It has to be him, I can’t think of anyone else. _

The more Chan thinks about it, the more enraged he feels. Chan rarely (aka. Never) loses his temper, but the fact that this Asshole put his friends in danger… All Chan wants to do is punch the guy till he-

_ No, Chan don’t think like that. _

_ But my friends are... _

Chan’s anger gets the best of him.

He arrives back at his and Woojin’s shared living facility. It takes all his self control not to slam the door closed behind him.

But now that he’s in the “safety” of the living facility...

“Get up!” Chan practically screams, throwing the door to Woojin’s room open with enough force to put a hole in the wall as it slams against it, “Get up you fucking piece of shit!”

Woojin jumps out of bed, eyes wide in surprise, holding a stance as if he was being attacked. His gaze hardens as he sees that it’s Chan who burst into his room, he lowers his stance.

“What the…” Woojin scrunches his nose in confusion.

“You told Them.” Chan points an accusing finger at Woojin, “You told Them about me.”

“What are you- oh, that?” Woojin frowns, “No, I didn’t.”

“You Did.” Chan snarls, “Now my friends are in danger, and it’s all your fault.”

Chan backs Woojin till his back is pressed up against the wall, baring his teeth as he does, almost like he is mimicking a wolf.

“How dare you claim that it wasn’t you!” Chan spits, the malice in his voice enough to make one tremble with fear. 

Just not Woojin.

“It. Wasn’t. Me.” Woojin states through gritted teeth, “Now, back off.”

Chan feels a surge of hot anger course through his veins. He grabs Woojin by the collar of his shirt, pulling his face closer to his, whilst further pressing him against the wall.

“How fucking dare you. Claiming that you didn’t tell them.” Chan growls, “You’re the only one who seems to know about me. Therefore it can only be your fault. Fucking Liar!”

Woojin grabs the collar of Chan’s shirt, he clearly wants to show Chan that he is capable of standing up for himself. Chan can’t let him do that.

“I told you I wouldn’t.” Woojin clenches his jaw, “I did not lie.”

The world stills, neither of them moving a muscle. 

Their eyes are locked, both refusing to back down. 

Chan growls at Woojin.

Woojin growls at Chan. 

Chan can feel his hand twitching.

_ Oh how I really want to punch his face. _

_ No, don’t. He’ll just use it as evidence against you. You’ll be putting others in danger for sure if you do that. _

_ But- he- I- _

_ Fuck, I can’t do this… _

Chan loosens his grip, and unclenches his jaw as his internal debate favours the less violent option. The option that is to back off.

But he can’t let Woojin off too easily.

Chan lets Woojin go.

“I’ll let you off for now.” Chan narrows his gaze, “But if I sense that any of my friends are in danger, you better watch your back.”

Woojin smirks, but does not comment. 

_ Bastard thinks he’s won _ .

Chan turns, and leaves the room, still enraged. If he doesn’t get away from Woojin right now, his anger will only grow, along with the urge to punch him. If that happens, there’s no way Chan would be able to stop himself.

Chan slams the door to his own room, and throws himself on the bed.

There was no way for him to release any of all the anger, rage, and adrenaline he had built up. 

So, here he is post fight, sobbing as silently as he can into his pillows.

_ I can’t do anything right. I couldn’t even stop my own roommate from destroying everything. I thought we were safe. _

_ No... _

_ Nothing is ever safe within the walls of this place. _

_ How am I supposed to protect them? _

_ I made a promise… _

_ They’ll never be safe here. _

_ But what if we leave…? _


	9. I Spy

* * *

The next couple of weeks are filled with tension. Chan spends much of his time trying to act like everyone else. He even avoids going to the hideout as much as he can bear. Some nights become unbearable due to the tension between Chan, and Woojin.

Chan still seems to blame Woojin. He does petty things to him whenever he can. It was worse in the days following their fight. Chan would take Woojin’s things, and place them in ridiculous places, or just hide them. Woojin would then have a hard time finding them. 

In the more recent days, Chan had been doing less and less things to bother Woojin. What was once him throwing all of Woojin’s pants into some bushes, now became him elbowing, or purposely bumping into Woojin.

Despite all the petty, vengeful acts, Woojin finds himself keeping an eye out for Chan.

A few times Woojin has averted the eyes of some of Their security personnel, only when Chan was being careless. When it came to convincing the Facility, Chan could not act to save his life, so those times were more often than Woojin would have liked.

Not that he liked helping Chan.

_ Why am I even doing this? _

_ If They get him, then he’ll tell Them about me, and how I didn’t report him.  _

_ Right. That’s why.  _

_ Right? _

Woojin shakes his head, this is the third time today that Chan has done something in which Woojin helped to avert the attention of security elsewhere.

_ He’s been getting more careless. This idiot. _

As a result of Woojin keeping a watchful eye on Chan, he found himself following him around. It’s a miracle that Chan hasn’t noticed him doing so, or maybe Chan just assumes he’s glaring at him whenever they happen to look at each other. Chan certainly glares.

It was during lunch that Woojin overheard Chan passing a message to one of his friends.

“ _ Let’s meet tonight, I have something important to discuss regarding…. _ ” Chan whispered to the short, grumpy looking friend. Woojin was only able to catch its and pieces.

“ _ What about the…” _

Chan shakes his head slightly, “ _ I think… working… suspect me less… _ ”

Woojin frowns. He rolls his eyes.

_ He thinks he’s… What a Fucking idiot. _

Woojin hears the friend sigh, “ _ Okay… I’ll tell the others _ .”

_ They’re going to meet tonight… Why does Chan keep risking himself like this? _

Today, for the first time since Woojin first discovered that Chan was a “glitch”, he decides to follow Chan to the hideout.

That night, Chan leaves earlier than he usually would. Woojin waits till Chan has shut the door to their room, before making a move after him. He makes sure to tail him from afar, not too far, just enough so that Woojin catches glimpses of Chan as he moves from one hiding spot to the next.

Chan reaches the edge of the compound, ducking into the cover of the forest.

_ I’ll have to follow more closely. _

Woojin picks up his pace, only because he doesn’t want to lose Chan in the semi-dense forest.

Woojin stops as they reach a clearing, there sits what appears to be an old warehouse. The sides of the building are darkened with age, the branches of trees crashing into its walls before proceeding to grow upwards. A thick layer of vines wrap their tendrils around some pipes that run up the side of the building, and take over half of the walls. A small light on the front of the entrance is all that helps to illuminate the clearing. Woojin can see Chan more clearly now, as he opens the door, and enters the building.

_ Is Chan the last to enter? _

Woojin creeps closer to the edge of the forest, but stops as he hears the rustling of leaves to his right.

One of Chan’s friends, one of his newer friends emerges from the forest just to Woojin’s left. The male is close enough that Woojin can just make out his face, especially when he looks right at Woojin with his cat-like eyes. The corners of his lips are slightly upturned, making it appear as if he is smirking at Woojin.

_ Oh, no, has he found me? _

The male then turns away, his eyes set once again on the old warehouse.

Woojin holds his breath as the male passes him, and enters the warehouse.

_ That was close. I really hope he didn't see me. _

_ I need to move closer, should I enter the building? _

Woojin slowly makes his way to the entrance of the warehouse. He stops just outside the door.

_ Maybe I should see if there’s another entrance… I don’t want to accidentally be seen. _

Woojin creeps his way around the building. To his luck he comes across another door. He wouldn't have known it was there if he didn’t dart into the vines to hide when he heard a rustling of leaves. It was a false alarm, just a squirrel, but it did help him find this door hidden by the vines. 

Woojin takes in a deep breath as he places his hand on the doorknob.

_ Please open. _

He slowly turns it, and pulls.

_ Damn it _ .

The door didn’t open. Woojin sighs in frustration. 

He leans against the door.

_ Gotta find another- _

Woojin yelps as the door suddenly opens, and he falls into the building.

He throws a hand over his mouth.

_ Did they hear? _

Woojin freezes and holds his breath, listening for any sign that the others heard him.

Nothing. 

Nothing that indicates that the others will come running to see what made that noise.

Woojin lets out a relieved sigh. He picks himself up off the dust covered floor.

_ Yuck, this place must’ve been here, unused for a long time. _

Woojin attempts to pat the dust off, but he is unable to get all of it off. His pristine white uniform is now mottled with gray dust, and has dark mud stains along the cuffs of his pants.

_ This is going to be a pain to clean. How does one remove- _

Woojin’s train of thought stops, he can hear the others whispering, or talking, but all the junk piled in the warehouse is muffling the sounds.

_ I can’t hear them from here, should I move closer? _

Woojin carefully makes his way towards the voices. He weaves himself through the giant piles of junk. The place is like a maze, but Woojin eventually can make out what Chan, and his friends are discussing.

He keeps moving closer.

_ It would be better to see them, not just hear their voices. _

Woojin moves as close as he can without being too exposed. He doesn’t have a very good view though.

_ Oh! I could climb up there? _

Woojin eyes a pile of stuff to his right. He eventually decides that it is sturdy enough to climb.

He climbs about halfway, no more than two meters off the ground. Here is a small platform that has a gap in which he can easily see, and hear what is going on.

Woojin makes himself comfortable, or as comfortable as he can be, perched on a mountain of junk. He peers through the gap, observing the group in a clearing down below.

There is a circle of couches, and chairs all surrounding a large but short table. Chan and his friends sit around it. There are seven of them seated around the table.

“Let’s wait for Jeongin before I explain to you why I wanted to meet up.” Woojin hears Chan tell the others.

They don’t wait for long however, an eighth person joins them.

_ That must be Jeongin. _

The others greet Jeongin. When done greeting everyone, Jeongin finally sits down next to Chan.

“What is this idea Changbin Hyung says you have, Chan Hyung?” Jeongin gets straight to business.

_ Idea? Who knew the guy had a brain. _

Woojin does his best to laugh silently at his own remark.

“I haven’t been approached by Them.”

“That’s really good Hyung!” A boy with freckles claps his hands happily.

“Yes, but there’s nothing to say that they won’t, Felix.” Chan shakes his head, Felix pouts, “Even so, I doubt I’d be able to convince Them that They are wrong. This means that either way, I, no, we are in danger of Them finding out.”

A handsome, tall boy on the couch to Chan’s left lets out a whimper.

“Don’t worry Hyunjin.” Chan reassures the boy, “I have an idea.”

A chorus of “What? What is it Hyung?” sounds from the others.

“We leave.”

“We… we what?!” The one across from Chan, the same one who almost saw Woojin, gasps. 

“We leave the Facility.” Chan nods.

“How… how do we leave?” The boy holding Hyunjin’s hand asks.

“Long ago I was friends with someone who was like us.” Chan begins to explain, “He, much like I might be in the near future, was confronted by them. He was able to convince them that time, but he wouldn’t have been as lucky the next time They approached him. So, he decided to leave.”

The others, Woojin included, listen intently as Chan tells his story.

“He shared his plans with me and a few others, luckily I can remember some of them. I was supposed to go with them, but, as you can see, that didn’t happen.” Chan closes his eyes, recalling his memories, “The night he left, I remember crying a lot. I also remember him saying something, then singing to try and get me to sleep.”

“Chan, If, in the future, you ever find people who you care for enough to do what I am doing now, remember this song.” Chan says, his tone slightly different to indicate that those are not his words.

“ Like a tunnel with no light.

There's no end, I’m scared

Day and night, every day I am afraid, 

I think I'll get caught” Chan sings.

“I remembered this song, and I think what he was trying to tell me is that there's a way out that the Facility doesn’t know about, a tunnel. The song literally has the word tunnel in it, I can’t see what else it could mean...”

“Why the song though?” Felix asks, “If he was going to be so literal, why not just say it?”

Chan shrugs, “I don’t know, probably in case They heard?”

“Where is the tunnel?” A boy round cheeks, who Woojin has often seen with Chan, asks.

“That’s the thing, Jisung, I only have an approximate idea as to where it could be…” Chan admits.

“Oh…” Jisung’s shoulders slump, “Do you remember anything else?”

“Yes.” Chan nods, “I know that we will have to walk through the forest until we reach a giant wall. The wall itself is guarded by the Facility, so I have a feeling that the tunnel is somewhere along the wall. I know that is where my friend had set out towards.”

“That’s better than nothing.” Felix sighs, “But it does sound risky… maybe it’s too risky...”

“We have to try!” Hyunjin cries out, “We can’t just give up!”

“Hyunjin’s right.” The boy holding Hyunjin’s hand agrees, “It may be risky, but don’t we run the same risk by staying here?”

“Yes.” Chan nods, three times to be exact, “Seungmin, that is exactly why I think we need to leave... tonight.”

“Don’t we need to prepare?” Jeongin asks, “I mean, the forest is very large…”

“I think there’s lots of stuff here we can use.” Minho suggests, “We’ve got food, and I think I saw some sort of temporary structures we can carry for shelter. There’s also that wagon we can use to cart things around in.”

“So we gather our supplies and leave as soon as we can?” Chan looks around at the others.

Once Chan has gotten a nod, or an “Okay.” from each of them he begins to give out instructions as to who will grab what.

Woojin takes this moment to process what he has just heard.

_ They’re… Leaving?! Is that possible? I mean, it sounds like it has been done before… _

_ I should probably leave if they’re going to look around for supplies. I’ll wait outside and follow them when they leave for this wall. _

Woojin turns to climb down from his perch. He stops when he feels the structure shift underneath him.

_ I thought it was sturdy?! _

“Look what I found!” Woojin hears Jeongin shout, “Hold on a second, it’s stuck.”

Woojin can feel the pile shift again.

_ No, don’t do what I think you’re going to do. _

“There we go. This looks usef-”

“Jeongin look out!” Woojin hears Chan shout.

The structure he was on wobbles, and shifts, before finally giving out.

_ Fuck. _

Everything in that pile comes tumbling down into the clearing, Woojin along with it.

Down, down. 

A sudden pain in his head. 

Then everything stops.

The last thing Woojin hears before his vision goes dark is Chan’s voice.

“Woojin?!”


	10. "No One is Killing Anyone, Jisung."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank those of you who have been showing your support thus far. I was honestly a tad reluctant to start uploading this fic. simply because I've seen a few others like it, but it is a bit different, so I thought I'd try anyways.
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments, suggestions, and the like.
> 
> I hope you have been enjoying the story so far.
> 
> See you next update, Enjoy!

Woojin’s entrance certainly came as a surprise.

When Jeongin pulled the duffel bag full of clothes from the pile, the entire pile came falling down.

Luckily Hyunjin had pulled the youngest out of harm's way, but no one had expected another human to fall down into their clearing with it.

In a moment of panic, Chan ordered the others to help him find some rope, and a chair to tie Woojin to while he was still unconscious.

“What now?” Jisung asks, crossing his arms across his chest.

Seungmin, and Changbin have just finished securing the last few knots.

“Did he hit his head or something?” Felix asks, peering around the older’s head, “It looks like he did, there’s a bit of blood on his forehead.”

Chan rubs his temples.

_ Why did Woojin fall into the hideout? Did he follow me here? Why would he? _

_What do I do? He’s unconscious, do we leave him here and continue with our plan?_

“What about our escape plan?” Hyunjin gasps, “Do you think he heard?”

“Probably.”

“That’s not helpful, Changbin.” Seungmin snaps.

“That’s Hyung to you.” Changbin growls.

“Guys.” Chan starts, but the others continue to bicker.

“Why don’t we just leave him here?” Jeongin suggests.

“And risk him running free? No thanks.” Minho shakes his head.

“Guys…”

_ Nope, they're still not listening. _

“Why not just kill him or something? We can’t let him lose, and leaving him here is risking him doing just that.” Jisung shrugs.

“What. You? Kill? Don’t make me laugh!” Changbin scoffs.

“I totally could!” 

“I’ll believe it when I see it!”

“STOP!” Chan bellows.

_ Finally. _

“No one is killing anyone, Jisung.” Chan sends a warning glance to the younger. 

Jisung sheepishly looks away, “I wasn’t…”

Changbin gives Jisung an “I told you so” look.

“Changbin.” Chan warns. 

Changbin looks down, and glares at the floor.

“What will we do with him, Hyung?” Felix asks.

“Well, Minho is correct. We can’t leave him here and risk him escaping and telling Them about our plans. It is likely he heard us discussing them.” Chan lets out a conflicted grunt, “We will not be killing him, like seriously, Jisung. We aren’t like Them.”

Jisung squeaks out an apology, “Sorry.”

“And we obviously can’t just let him go.” Seungmin adds, nodding.

“The only other option is that we take him with us. We can either use him as a decoy or something during our escape, or let him free if we manage to escape.” Minho concludes.

“When we manage. Let’s stay hopeful, Minho.” Chan corrects, “And, that does seem like the most viable option.”

The rest of the group let out a few groans, some of them give each other wary looks. Each of them reluctant, or wary about Chan’s final decision. 

“Let’s get packing you guys, we don’t have all night.” Chan began to give directions to the group, “Do as I asked you to before the pile fell, except you Minho. I want you to pack the food. I will try and find the wagon, and something to transport our unconscious… tag along. Oh, and Changbin, keep an eye on him.”

“Yes, sir.” Changbin mock salutes him.

Chan watches as the boys all go off to find what they were instructed to.

Jisung and Felix were to find clothes.

Hyunjin and Seungmin were to find the portable shelters.

Jeongin was to find blankets or anything that could keep them warm during the night.

Chan sets off to find a wagon, or two.

_ Let’s start with the edge of the warehouse. _

Chan heads towards the far end, furthest from the entrance. He had never really investigated this part of the warehouse before, he supposes now would be a good time to check it out.

Chan reaches the far end and starts to look, he checks under, over, beside, and all throughout the piles there.

As he makes his way along the wall, he comes across a section of the wall that is different from the rest. It is metal, and has all these horizontal lines across it. Chan feels the strange wall, the horizontal lines are like ridges. It reminds Chan of the shutters they would pull across their windows back in the living facilities. Perhaps this is like that, only larger, like a very large door. 

Something catches Chan’s eye, a large object covered in an equally as large, fabric cover. The fabric cover must’ve been white at one point, but it is now covered in a thick layer of dust. To remove the cover would probably send a bunch of dust into the air, but Chan’s curiosity, and the fact that he should look everywhere for those wagons, are telling him he should remove it.

He grabs at the corner of the cover, and pulls it down to his left. The cover easily slides off, but not before sending a cloud of dust into the air.

The dust sends Chan into a coughing and sneezing fit. His eyes tear up as some dust gets in his eyes.

_ Maybe that wasn’t a good idea… _

One the dust settles again, and Chan stops coughing, and sneezing as much, he opens his eyes.

In front of him is a huge, hollow, rectangular structure. The structure itself appears to have once been a bright yellow, but has faded significantly over time. Now it is a gray-ish colour, with only a hint of yellow to indicate what it once was.

Chan inspects the structure, walking around it. The structure has multiple windows, with its largest two being at what is possibly the front, and the back. Closer to the front is a tall thin door. The back has a much larger set of doors.

The structure sits high off the ground, Chan figures this is due to the four, large wheels that the object is resting upon. The only thing keeping the wheels from spinning is wedges of wood jammed between the wheel, and the ground.

“What is this thing?” Chan wonders aloud.

It reminds him of those carts that the security personnel would drive around the District.

“Is this like a giant cart?” Chan reaches a hand up to touch the surface of the structure, “There’s something written here…”

“S-T-O-P… Stop? Why does it have stop written on it?” 

Chan looks around the structure again, perhaps there were more words written on the structure. Maybe he’d be lucky, and the name of the structure would be written on it.

_ There, above the back window! _

“S-c-h-o-o-l b-u-s… School Bus…?” Chan recognizes the words, “OH! Isn’t that one of those old vehicles that would take people to and from the learning facilities?”

_ I wonder if I can go inside it… maybe it still works? Probably operates like the carts. _

Chan grabs the handles of the back door, and pulls. The door makes a loud creaking sound as Chan uses his entire body to pull it open.

Inside, the bus is filled with clothes.

_Oh, I better let Jisung and Felix know._

“Jisung, Felix, I found some clothes!” Chan shouts.

“Hyung? Where are you?” Chan easily hears Jisung’s loud reply.

“By the wall furthest from the entrance!” Chan instructs, “There’s also something really cool over here.”

“Okay, We’ll be there in a second!”

“Okay.”

_I should see how the others are doing._

“How is it going for everyone else?” Chan bellows.

“We found some portable shelters!” Seungmin shouts.

“I found some blankets!” Jeongin yells.

“Our Prisoner is still unconscious.” Changbin informs.

“I’ve got most of the food packed.” Minho is the last to reply.

“Looks like I’m the only one left, still haven’t found a wagon. How about all of you come here to check this out, it’s pretty cool. Then we can all try and find some wagons.” Chan suggests.

He receives a loud response of yes from everyone.

Chan takes a moment to inspect the front of the bus, perhaps he can figure out if it still works. Chan eventually determines that the vehicle is too complex for him, and leaves it at that.

The others soon join him, including Changbin, who somehow managed to drag Woojin along, despite the other being tied to a chair.

“What is this?” They all gasp in awe.

“Is that a Bus?!” Minho raises his eyebrows, “That is pretty cool.”

“And,” Chan adds, “It’s full of clothes.”

“Perfect.” Seungmin smiles, “Why don’t we get these stupid white uniforms off, and put on something that’ll help us hide more easily from Them.”

“Good idea, Seungmin.” Chan praises the younger.

Chan helps lift the others into the bus so they can each change out of their uniforms, and into the clothes on the bus. They each take turns keeping an eye on Woojin while they get dressed.

They grab whatever catches their eye. Chan recommends they all wear fairly dark clothes, to help blend in during the nights, and the dark undergrowth of the forest.

Once they’ve all changed they head off to go find a wagon, or two. Changbin, and Felix drag Woojin back to the clearing. Chan makes sure to grab an extra set of clothes, for Woojin. If they’re to bring him with them, then he also needs to be less visible. They can’t let him be the reason they don’t escape.

“Yes!!” Chan hears Jisung shout from a few piles over, “I found a few wagons!”

“Good job Sungie.” Chan praises the younger as he maneuvers his way over to Jisung, “Jisung and I will grab these wagons, we’ll meet the rest of you back in the clearing.”

After confirmation that the others heard him, and they all head back to the clearing, Chan heads over to Jisung. Chan passes Woojin’s clothes over to Minho as he passes him.

“These are for Woojin.” Chan explains.

“Okay, I’ll get Changbin to put these on him.” Minho nods, “Do you want me to want me to bundle up the rest of the supplies? Make it easier to load the wagon?”

“Good Idea.” Chan smiles, “Thanks Minho!”

Chan continues towards Jisung, while Minho goes to the clearing.

“Jisung?” Chan calls out.

“Over here!” Jisung replies, his voice coming from behind the pile to Chan’s right.

He skirts around the pile to find Jisung seated on one of the wagons, the rest all in a pile of their own.

“Found more than one.” Jisung beams.

“I can see that.” Chan frowns slightly in thought, “Now we just need to get one out from the pile…”

Chan and Jisung take a moment to inspect the pile, looking for one that they could easily remove, without the rest of the pile falling down.

“I think that one would be the easiest to remove.” Chan looks to where Jisung is pointing. There, about two meters above his head is a wagon that, as Jisung said, could be easily removed.

“I’d agree if it wasn’t so high up…” Chan furrows his brows, “I think we should- Jisung!”

Jisung has started to climb the pile towards the easily removable wagon.

“Don’t worry, Chan Hyung.” Jisung confidently tries to reassure the older, “See, I’ve got it already.”

Jisung balances precariously on the pile as he pulls the wagon out. He bends down with the wagon in his hands and passes it to Chan. Chan takes it, and places it next to the other wagon they grabbed. He then rushes back to help Jisung down.

Jisung shifts his body to get a better look at where he can place his feet to start climbing down, but his sudden movement causes him to lose his footing. Jisung comes plummeting down.

“No!” Chan shouts, throwing his body underneath Jisung’s in an attempt to catch him.

The momentum of two bodies crashing to the ground causes a cloud of dust to billow into the air.

“Ugh!” Jisung groans from above Chan.

Chan lets out a sigh, thankfully he caught the boy. They ended up on the ground. The two lie there for a minute, Jisung on top of Chan, letting their rapidly beating hearts calm to a more reasonable pace. Here and there they let out a cough, and a few sneezes due to the dust. 

The dust soon settles, Jisung, and Chan are able to breath more steadily, well, as steady as Chan can with a human on top of him.

“You okay Sungie? Any injuries?” Chan worriedly asks the younger, giving him a once-over as he pushes the younger to his feet. Jisung then helps Chan stand up.

“Nope, you broke my fall. You okay, Hyung?” Jisung returns the question.

“Yeah, I think so.” Chan quickly looks down at himself. He doesn’t feel any pain, and there doesn’t appear to be any blood on either of them, just a bit of dust.

Chan dusts off his clothes, “Let’s get back to the others.”

**Author's Note:**

> Here we are, the start of the first part of the series (Step Out!)  
I hope you're enjoying it so far.
> 
> Please feel free to give feedback, suggestions, or to just share your thoughts with me!
> 
> If you would like to chat I can be reached through tumblr [@master-of-mages](https://master-of-mages.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thanks for reading, till next update!


End file.
